NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Alpharetta, GA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Alpharetta, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 107 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 107
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
17 deaths in all
What the records show for Alpharetta
None of the 14 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Alpharetta; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Alpharetta begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 63 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 14 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 76% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Alpharetta. The highest rating among the 107 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 27, 1994, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 6 people. Of the 107, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Alpharetta has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 173 times since 1967, with stones up to 3.25 inches. Alpharetta has more hail reports within 10 miles than 95% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Alpharetta
Of the 14 tracks on the map, 9 were moving northeast as they passed Alpharetta, 2 north and 2 east. Zeta (2020), the strongest pass, was heading northeast; its centre passed 44 miles northwest of Alpharetta. None made landfall within 75 miles of Alpharetta; 11 of the 14 were hurricanes at their peak, none at their closest to the city. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 2 came near Alpharetta: 0.7 a decade, against 0.8 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Alpharetta: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Alpharetta
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s18
- 2000s15
- 1990s19(4 EF3+)
- 1980s15
- 1970s17(4 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 22 mi | 17.7 mi | 6 / 30 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 24 mi | 49 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 12 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 46 |
| Mar 24, 1975 | F3 | 11 mi | 14.8 mi | 3 / 152 |
| Jan 10, 1972 | F3 | 24 mi | 6.3 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 16 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F3 | 20 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Apr 2, 1970 | F3 | 14 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1962 | F3 | 11 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.25 mi | 1 / 30 |
| Apr 8, 1998 | F2 | 6 mi | 19 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Jun 27, 1994 | F2 | 19 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 107, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Alpharetta
The Storm Prediction Center has 173 hail reports within 10 miles of Alpharetta since 1967, made on 119 separate days. Of these, 97 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.25 inches, fell on April 18, 1978. The most recent report is from June 27, 2025. April and June have the most reports, 41 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Alpharetta
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Atlanta Peachtree Airport, GA, 12 miles south of Alpharetta at 1,002 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 33°F. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (25.6 of 51.5 inches). September has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 53 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 49 nights a year. That 51.5 inches is more than at 61 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (56%). Suwanee, 12 miles east, has its own station (Cumming 2N, GA): 56.4 inches a year, 4.9 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Feb | 56 | 36 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.9 | 7 |
| May | 80 | 59 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Oct | 73 | 51 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Nov | 63 | 41 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 36 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Year | 72 | 51 | 51.5 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Atlanta Peachtree Airport, GA (1,002 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Alpharetta
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 280 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Alpharetta: 193 thunderstorm wind reports, 49 flash floods, 31 lightning strikes, 6 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 6 people and injured 10, and the NWS estimated $31.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on February 26, 2008. September has had the most flash floods, 8 of 49. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 372 have had fewer than Alpharetta.
September 21, 2009: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Alpharetta — 1 killed, $630,000 damage.
April 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Alpharetta — 1 killed, $250,000 damage.
NWS: “The Fulton County Emergency Management Director reported that several trees and power lines were down across the south end of the county from Palmetto to College Park, but a number of trees were down across the central and northern part of the county as well.”
November 16, 2011: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Alpharetta — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “The Forsyth County Emergency Management Director reported that a tree fell on a sport utility vehicle (SUV) killing a 51-year old male inside the vehicle. The incident took place on Brookwood Drive near McGinnis Ferry Road in the Johns Creek portion of far southern Forsyth county.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Alpharetta's 4 ZIP codes have filed 97 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $1.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late summer storms in 2009: 24 claims (25% of all) and $426,000. 33% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 154 Georgia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 116 have fewer than Alpharetta.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late summer storms2009 | 24 | $426,000 |
Fulton County, which includes Alpharetta, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Fulton County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $234.6 million a year, the 2nd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $164.3 million (70%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.